I 


7H- 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  OHIO. 

CONDUCTED    FOR 

THE    PEABODY    MUSEUM    OF    AMEEICAN    ARCHEOLOGY 

AND   ETHNOLOGY,   IN   CONNECTION   WITH 

HARVARD    UNIVERSITY. 


BY   C.  L.  METZ  AND   F.  W.  PUTNAM. 

I. 

THE    MARRIOTT   MOUND,   No.   1. 


FROM  THE  EIGHTEENTH  REPORT  OF  THE  PEABODY  MUSEUM,  1884. 


CAMBRIDGE  : 
JOHN    WILSON    AND    SON. 


1886. 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  OHIQ. 


CONDUCTED    FOR 


THE    PEABODY    MUSEUM    OF    AMEEICAN    AKCH^OLOGY 

AND   ETHNOLOGY,  IN   CONNECTION  WITH 

HAEVAED   UNIVEESITY. 


BY   C.  L.  METZ  AND  F.  W.  PUTNAM. 
/f 

I. 

THE   MARRIOTT   MOUND,   No.  1. 


FROM  THE  EIGHTEENTH  REPORT  OF  THE  PEABODY  MUSEUM,  1884. 


CAMBRIDGE: 
JOHN   WILSON   AND    SON. 


1886. 


.o-3-mif 


C3 


*..«<*  UbM? 


EXPLORATIONS  IN  OHIO. 

BY  C.  L.  METZ  AND  F.  W.  PUTNAM. 
THE  MARRIOTT  MOUND,  NO.  1,  AND  ITS  CONTENTS. 


BY  F.  W.  PUTNAM. 


IN  October,  1884,  we  explored  a  mound  on  the  land  of  Mr. 
Benjamin  Marriott,  adjoining  Michael  Turner's  farm.  This  is  one 
of  two  mounds  situated  west  of  the  hill  on  which  is  the  mound  and 
earth-circle  forming  part  of  the  Turner  group  in  the  Little  Miami 
valley.  Through  this  hill,  cutting  it  from  east  to  west,  run  two 
deep  curved  trenches,  and  the  two  mounds  on  Mr.  Marriott's  farm 
are  opposite  the  western  ends  of  these  trenches.  The  southern  one 
has  been  long  used  as  a  family  cemetery,  so  we  could  not  explore 
it.  The  other,  which  we  explored,  has  been  ploughed  over  for 
many  }rears,  and  is  consequently  much  reduced  in  height. 

At  the  time  of  our  work  it  was  about  two  feet  high  and  sixty  feet 
in  diameter.  Over  this  lower  portion  there  had  been  a  covering  of 
water- worn  stones,  brought  from  the  creek  bottom.  They  had  been 
much  disturbed  b}r  the  plough,  but  they  seem  to  have  been  arranged 
as  shown  in  Fig.  1,  representing  a  section  of  the  mound.  We 
dug  the  mound  completely  away,  and  found  at  its  centre  a  mass  of 
burnt  clay  in  the  form  of  a  rude  basin  about  two  feet  in  diameter 
(Figs.  1,  2,  A).  The  clay  (34358  J)  of  which  the  basin  had  been 
formed  was  placed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  over  which  the 
mound  had  been  erected. 

This  basin  contained  a  little  ashes,  in  which  were  a  few  bits  of 
charcoal,  burnt  acorns,  and  several  fragments  of  burnt  bones,  a  few 
of  which  are  evidently  pieces  of  implements  (34359).  In  the 

1  The  numbers  given  in  parentheses  are  those  under  which  the  objects  are 
recorded  in  the  Museum  catalogue. 

REPORT   OF   PEABODY   MUSEUM,  III.  29  (449). 


FIG.  1.    SECTION  OF  MARRIOTT  MOUND,  No.  1.     DIAMETER 


SCALE, 

FT. 


FIG.  2.    GROUND  PLAN  OF  MARRIOTT  MOUND,  No.  1. 


EXPLANATION    OF    FIGURES    1    AND    2. 


A.  Basin  of  burnt  clay  in  centre  of  mound. 

B.  Burnt  earth,  stones,  and  ashes. 

C.  Burnt  earth,  stones,  and  ashes. 

D.  Skull  surrounded  by  stones. 

E.  Skeleton  with  implements  in  handles. 


F.  Skeleton  with  perforated  bear's  teeth  and  copper  plate 

G.  Extended  skeleton  with  ear  ornaments. 
H,  H,  H.     Post-holes. 

I.     Shell. 

K,  K.     Beds  of  sandy  clay. 


451 

basin  were  also  eleven  pottery  beads,  spherical  in  shape  and  half 
an  inch  in  diameter  (34362),  four  beads  cut  from  shell  and  finely 
polished,  about  half  an  inch  in  length  and  a  quarter-inch  in  width 
(34363),  and  five  small  shells  of  the  genus  Marginella,  each  of 
which  had  its  apex  cut  off  so  as  to  permit  of  stringing  as  orna 
ments  (34364). 

Partly  surrounding  this  mass  of  burnt  clay  was  a  mass  of  burnt 
earth,  stones,  ashes,  and  charcoal,  from  eight  to  ten  inches  in 
depth,  irregular  in  outline,  and  extending  about  fifteen  feet  to  the 
west,  eight  feet  to  the  south,  and  ten  feet  to  the  east  (Figs.  1,  2,  B). 
The  bottom  of  this  burnt  material  was  about  seven  inches  above 
the  surface  over  which  the  mound  had  been  made.  About  six  feet 
northeast  of  the  centre  of  the  mound  was  a  similar  burnt  space, 
about  ten  feet  in  width  and  fifteen  in  length  (Fig.  2,  C).  Under 
these  burnt  portions  was  a  thin  layer  of  sand}'  cla}7,  which  had  been 
placed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Over  the  rest  of  the  base  of 
the  mound  were  one  or  two  layers  of  stones. 

In  the  ashes  and  earth  on  these  burnt  areas,  and  in  the  adjacent 
earth,  were  over  six  hundred  fragments  of  pottery  (34408-34437), 
varj'ing  in  size  from  one  to  five  inches  in  length.  These  fragments 
are  pieces  of  bowls  and  pots  of  common  sizes,  which  were  well 
made  and  well  burnt.  The  clay  apparently  was  mixed  with  a  fine 
sand.  A  few  of  the  pieces  contain  bits  of  shell.  Many  of  the 
pieces  show  that  the  bowls  were  decorated  neatly  with  incised  lines 
and  punch-marks  in  different  designs.  Others  are  cord-marked, 
and  many  are  plain.  One  fragment  is  that  of  a  conical  foot,  prob 
ably  one  of  three  around  the  base  of  the  vessel.  Among  all  the 
pieces  there  is  not  a  single  handle,  although  there  are  many  por 
tions  of  the  lips  and  sides  of  vessels. 

Scattered  about  in  the  same  manner  were  between  two  and  three 
thousand  broken  and  split  pieces  of  bones  of  animals  (34407), 
principally  of  the  deer  and  bear,  but  including  several  other  species 
of  mammals  and  a  few  of  birds,  which  have  not  }'et  been  deter 
mined.  With  these  were  found  nearly  a  hundred  shells  of  river 
clams,  Unionidse  (34388),  a  portion  of  a  clam-shell  (34389)  which 
had  been  cut  around  the  edge,  possibly  a  piece  of  a  spoon  ;  many 
small  pieces  of  mica  (34360),  some  of  which  are  fragments  of  orna 
ments  ;  and  also  several  objects  of  bone  and  stone,  as  follows. 

A  needle  (34390)  made  from  a  splinter  of  bone,  nearly  five  inches 
long,  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter  in  its  upper  part,  flattened 


452 

at  the  head,  through  which  a  small  eye  has  been  drilled.  This 
needle  is  well  made  and  highly  polished.  It  is  shown  in  Fig.  3. 
Pieces  of  four  other  needles  (34390)  of  the  same  character  and  size 
were  also  found. 


FIG.  3.    BONE  NEEDLE.  FIG.  4.    BONE  AWL. 

An  ornamented  awl  (34392),  formed  from  a  piece  of  bone,  prob 
ably  the  metatarsal  of  a  deer.  As  shown  in  Fig.  4,  the  handle  is 
ornamented  with  rows  of  fine  cross-cut  lines,  on  each  of  the  two 
surfaces  shown  in  the  figure.  On  the  ridge  of  bone  between  these 


453 

two  carved  surfaces  are  eleven  slight  notches.  The  end  of  the 
handle  is  squarely  cut,  and  has  two  distinct  grooves.  The  under 
surface  is  unfinished,  showing  the  cavity  of  the  bone.  The  cellular 
portion  of  this  part  of  the  bone  is  so  slightly  worn  that  it  seems 
probable  this  portion  was  filled  with  some  substance  the  better  to 
adapt  it  to  the  hand.  The  total  length  of  this  implement  is  four 
and  one  eighth  inches. 

Eleven  other  awls  or  points  of  bone  (34391)  are  made  by  simply 
sharpening  splinters  of  bone  from  two  to  three  and  a  half  inches 
long.  These  are  made  from  pieces  of  ribs  and  splinters  of  mammal 
and  bird  bones,  and  are  similar  to  hundreds  of  other  bone  points 
which  have  been  found  in  various  places  the  world  over. 

There  are  also  pieces  of  five  other  bone  implements  with  more  or 
less  chisel  and  spatula-shaped  ends.  One  of  these  (34393)  is  a 
fragment  two  inches  long,  made  of  a  piece  of  thick  bone  ground  on 
one  side  to  a  narrow  chisel-like  edge  one  fourth  of  an  inch  wide. 
Another  (34394)  is  made  from  a  piece  of  a  deer's  bone  about  three 
inches  long  and  one  inch  wide,  and  has  a  round,  smooth,  and  thin 
edge  at  one  end.  Three  others  (34394,  a)  are  pieces  of  ribs  which 
have  been  split,  and  rounded  and  smoothed  at  one  end.  An  ulna 
of  a  deer  (34397),  the  olecranon  of  which  is  so  often  used  for 
making  implements,  has  had  the  slender  portion  detached  by 
cutting  the  bone  partly  through  from  opposite  sides,  and  then 
snapping  off  the  end.  The  cuts  made  by  a  flint  knife  or  flake  are 
distinctly  seen  in  this  specimen.  Three  points  cut  from  deer's 
antlers  (34396),  and  another  (34395)  which  has  been  hollowed, 
probabty  as  a  socket  for  some  implement,  close  the  list  of  objects 
of  bone  and  antler. 

Of  objects  of  stone  we  found  four  small  masses  of  gray  flint, 
from  which  pieces  had  been  struck  off,  and  one  hundred  and  eleven 
chert,  jasper,  and  chalcedony  flakes  of  various  colors  and  sizes 
(34403).  Of  the  same  material  are  seventy-seven  thin  flakes  from 
one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long  and  from  a  quarter  to 
about  half  an  inch  wide  (34406),  and  also  a  core  (34405)  from 
which  such  long  narrow  flakes  had  been  struck.  Nine  of  these 
flake-knives  are  shown  in  Fig.  5,  of  natural  size.  They  are  of  the 
same  character  as  the  obsidian  flake-knives  from  Mexico,  and  evi 
dently  were  made  for  similar  purposes.  We  have  found  hundreds 
of  these  narrow  flakes  during  our  explorations  of  the  Ohio  mounds, 
and  also  several  of  the  cores.  A  trial  at  cutting  wood,  antler, 


454 

bone,  and  mica  with  these  flakes,  is  at  once  convincing  that  they 
were  well  adapted  for  knives.  Three  thin  flint  flakes  (34404)  from 
one  and  a  quarter  to  two  inches  long  and  about  one  inch  wide,  are 
of  interest,  as  they  show  secondary  and  fine  chipping  along  their 
edges. 


FIG.  5.    FLAKE-KNIVES. 


Five  fragments,  points,  and  bases  of  large  chipped  points  of 
flint  (34400)  are  evidence  of  good  work  of  this  character,  while 
a  slender  point  about  two  and  a  quarter  inches  long,  with  a 
simple  shank,  is  very  rudely  chipped  from  a  poor  piece  of  chert 
(34399). 


455 

» 

The  only  fine  chipped  implement  found  in  the  burnt  portions  of 
the  mound  is  shown  of  natural  size  in  Fig.  6.  This  has  serrated 
edges,  and  ma}'  be  a  large  arrow-head  (34398).  It  is  made  from 
a  dark  gray  flint.  A  fragment  of  polished  stone  (34401) ,  probably 
the  central  part  of  a  celt,  is  another  evidence  that  considerable 
refuse  material  was  gathered  at  the  spot  where  the  mound  was 
made,  as  well  as  ornaments  and  implements  of  value  and  im 
portance  to  the  people.  A  piece  of  clay  slate  (34402),  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  in  thickness,  has  been  cut  into  the  shape  shown  by  Fig.  7, 
which  represents  the  stone  of  full  size  in  outline.  Fragments  of  a 
fossil  plant  (34361),  the  cavities  of  which  contained  considerable 
oxide  of  iron,  were  also  found  in  the  ashes. 


FIG.  6.    CHIPPED  FROM  GRAY  FLINT.  FIG.  7.    CUT  FROM  SLATE. 

Five  feet  north  of  the  centre  of  the  mound,  and  between  the 
southern  and  northern  burnt  portions  (Fig.  2,  D),  were  a  number  of 
small  stones,  arranged  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  at  the  bottom 
of  the  mound,  surrounding  a  human  skull  (34365)  with  its  under 
jaw.  No  other  bones  were  with  the  head,  not  even  fragments,  ex 
cept  those  belonging  to  the  skull ;  neither  were  there  any  objects 
of  any  kind  buried  with  it.  The  skull  is  brachy cephalic,1  and  is 
that  of  a  youth  who  was  just  getting  his  wisdom  teeth.  A  hole 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  has  been  bored  through  the  oc 
cipital  bone  at  a  point  three  eighths  of  an  inch  back  of  the  centre 
of  the  margin  of  the  foramen  magnum.  The  position  of  the  hole 

1  Length,  170 ;  breadth,  142 ;  breadth  index,  835.  Height,  140 ;  length,  170 ; 
height  index,  824. 


456 

naturally  suggests  that  a  cord  was  passed  through  it  and  out  of 
the  great  foramen  for  the  purpose  of  suspending  the  skull.  In  this 
connection  it  is  well  to  recall  the  several  perforated  skulls  surround 
ing  the  two  skeletons  in  the  intrusive  pit  in  the  large  mound  of  tkis 
group  to  which  reference  is  made  in  a  former  report. 

Nine  feet  north  of  the  centre,  near  the  western  edge  of  the  north 
eastern  burnt  space  were  the  following  human  bones  (34370),  prob 
ably  of  a  man :  a  piece  of  the  left  parietal,  a  right  molar,  and  the 
left  condyle  of  the  lower  jaw  ;  pieces  of  a  right  femur,  humerus  and 
ulna  of  each  side,  a  right  radius,  and  a  right  scapula ;  several  finger 
and  toe  bones,  fragments  of  ribs,  vertebrae,  and  long  bones,  all 
representing  a  single  skeleton.  These  bones  were  in  a  group,  out 
of  natural  order,  eighteen  inches  above  the  base  of  the  mound,  and 
were  surrounded  by  small  stones  (Fig.  2,  E).  The  fact  that  many 
of  the  bones  of  the  skeleton  were  missing,  while  those  which  were 
found  were  fairly  well  preserved  and  out  of  natural  order,  suggests 
a  secondary  burial.  Ploughing  over  the  spot  may  have  caused 
some  of  the  fractures,  and  some  of  the  pieces  may  have  been  pulled 
from  their  place  of  deposit  by  the  plough,  but  there  were  no  frag 
ments  about  to  suggest  that  such  was  the  case.  The  broken  lower 
end  of  the  left  femur  has  been  gnawed  by  rodents. 

Mixed  with  the  human  bones  were  a  couple  of  handsful  of  frag 
ments  of  bones  of  animals  (34378) ,  a  few  of  which  had  been  burnt, 
and  pieces  of  a  small  antler  of  a  deer.  There  were  also  two  pieces 
of  bone  and  a  piece  of  antler  (34372)  which  had  been  cut,  and  are 
probably  portions  of  pointed  implements.  BANCROFT  LIBRARY 

In  a  pile,  in  one  corner  of  the  enclosure  and  partly  under  some 
of  the  human  bones,  were  ten  handles,  more  or  less  perfect,  made 
of  antler  (34371).  Five  of  these  had  holes  in  one  end,  and  while 
they  vary  in  size  from  three  to  four  inches  in  length,  and  from  half 
an  inch  to  an  inch  in  diameter,  they  are  of  the  shape  and  character 
of  the  handle  shown  in  Fig.  8,  which  is  a  full-size  illustration  of  one 
of  the  lot  in  which  a  point  of  bone  was  still  inserted  in  the  handle 
(34374).  Another  of  the  handles,  made  from  a  point  of  an  antler, 
has  a  groove  cut  across  its  widest  end,  in  which  was  resting  a  tri 
angular  point,  chipped  from  a  dark  chert  (34373),  as  shown  in 
Fig.  9,  also  of  full  size.  Of  course  this  is  a  knife,  and  it  is  a  good 
illustration  of  the  transition  from  arrow-points  to  knives.  These 
specimens  were  taken  up  with  care,  and  both  Dr.  Metz  and  ni3'self 
made  careful  observations  of  the  handles  with  their  points  in  place 


457 


1 


•AAICIIOIT 


458 

as  they  lay  in  the  earth.  The  method  by  which  this  stone  point 
was  fastened  to  the  handle  is  a  matter  of  conjecture,  but  it  is  prob 
able  that  it  was  held  in  its  place  by  a  lashing  of  sinew  and  a  mass 
of  glue  or  gum. 

With  the  group  of  handles  was  a  finery  chipped  point  (34375) 
of  light  banded  flint,  with  slight  tangs  and  a  broad  stem,  which  is 
broken  off.  This  point  is  finely  serrated,  and  is  about  the  size 
of  the  one  figured  in  the  handle.  It  is  probable  that  it  also  was 
formerly  mounted  in  one  of  the  handles. 

Two  triangular  flakes  of  white  flint  (34376)  and  three  small  bits 
of  pottery  (34377)  conclude  the  list  of  objects  found  with  the  hu 
man  bones  in  this  small  grave. 

Twelve  feet  west  of  the  centre  of  the  mound  (see  Fig.  2,  F),  and 
about  one  foot  above  the  bottom,  were  portions  of  another  human 
skeleton,  also  surrounded  by  stones.  The  bones  (34366)  were  out 
of  natural  position,  and  were  probably  a  secondary  burial.  They 
are  probably  those  of  a  man  of  middle  age.  The  portions  preserved 
consist  of  a  nearly  perfect  but  much  warped  cranium,  the  under 
jaw,  vertebrae,  ribs,  a  nearly  perfect  pelvis,  and  fragments  of  the 
right  tibia  and  fibula.  The  teeth  are  all  present  and  in  good  con 
dition,  except  the  left  lower  wisdom  tooth,  which  has  a  large  cari 
ous  spot  just  above  the  neck.  A  few  of  the  ribs  and  a  portion  of 
the  pelvis  are  stained  green  by  a  large  copper  plate  which  lay 
partly  upon  these  bones,  and  over  several  bear's  teeth  described 
farther  on. 

The  copper  plate  (34367)  is  of  the  same  shape  and  character  as 
several  found  in  the  large  mound  of  the  Liberty  works,  but  is  the 
first  of  the  kind  we  have  found  in  the  Little  Miami  valley.  This 
plate  is  represented  of  one-quarter  size  in  Fig.  10.  Although  this 
large  plate,  at  first  sight,  has  the  appearance  of  having  been  cut 
from  a  sheet  of  rolled  copper,  a  careful  examination  of  its  surface 
leads  to  the  belief  that  it  was  hammered  from  a  sheet  of  native 
copper.  There  are  inequalities  over  the  surface,  and  several  places 
where  the  copper  is  distinctly  laminated,  and  the  edge  of  the  outer 
piece  has  separated  from  the  mass,  as  can  be  seen  by  a  close  in 
spection  of  the  figure,  which  is  made  by  the  photo-engraving  pro 
cess.  The  edges,  particularly  at  the  rounded  corners  of  the  plate, 
are  thinner  than  other  portions,  and  the  plate  varies  in  thickness 
from  one  to  one  and  a  half  millimeters.  I  have  tried  the  experi 
ment  of  hammering  a  sheet  of  native  copper,  placing  the  piece  on 


459 

a  flat  stone  and  pounding  the  opposite  surface  with  an  ordinary 
hammer-stone,  and  I  find  that  I  can  produce  a  surface,  on  a  sheet 
of  the  same  thickness  with  the  plate,  which  is  as  hard  and  compact 
as  the  surface  of  the  plate.  The  copper  of  which  this  plate  is  com 
posed  is  considerably  corroded,  and  the  outer  surface  has  changed 
to  a  green  color,  probably  a  carbonate.  One  surface  is  smoother 


than  the  other,  and  there  are  slight  traces  of  this  having  been  in 
contact  with  a  woven  fabric,  the  meshes  of  which  are  indicated  by 
minute  lines  on  the  copper.  I  ma}'  state  here,  that  on  similar  cop 
per  plates  from  the  Libert}7  group,  in  a  few  instances,  cloth  was  well 
preserved  by  the  action  of  the  copper  ;  and  I  may  add,  also,  that  one 


460 

of  these  plates  was  found  in  the  large  mound  of  the  Liberty  group 
resting  on  bones  of  the  chest  of  a  skeleton,  which  was  extended  at 
full  length,  and  it  is  probable  that  such  plates  are  ornaments  which 
were  suspended  over  the  breast  by  passing  a  cord  through  the  two 
holes.  The  several  plates  of  this  character  which  I  have  seen  are 
of  the  same  general  shape,  but  they  vary  in  size  from  considerably 
smaller  to  slightly  larger  than  the  one  from  the  Marriott  mound. 
On  one  surface  of  the  plate  before  me  there  are  several  minute 
wavy  and  curled  lines  close  together  and  covering  each  other. 
These  are  made  evidently  by  a  formation  of  a  carbonate  of  copper 
about  hair  of  some  kind,  perhaps  of  the  person  with  whose  bones 
the  plate  was  found. 

The  following  are  the  dimensions  of  the  plate.  Width  across 
lower  edge,  nine  inches ;  across  upper  edge,  eight  and  one  fourth 
inches ;  across  centre,  eight  and  one  eighth  inches.  Length,  five 
and  one  eighth  inches.  Distance  between  holes,  two  and  five  eighths 
inches.  Diameter  of  holes,  about  one  eighth  of  an  inch.  Distance 
of  holes  from  upper  margin,  one  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Lying  together  immediately  under  the  copper  plate,  and  partly  in 
contact  with  it,  were  six  canine  teeth  of  bears.  These  teeth  are 
from  three  and  a  quarter  to  three  and  a  half  inches  in  length, 
measured  in  a  straight  line  from  base  to  point,  and  although  they 
are  slightly  larger  than  several  teeth  of  black  bears  with  which  I 
have  been  able  to  compare  them,  I  presume  they  are  of  the  same 
species.  Four  of  these  teeth  (34369)  are  probably  from  one  ani 
mal.  Each  tooth  is  perforated  by  a  lateral  hole  bored  near  the  edge 
at  the  point  of  greatest  curvature  of  the  root,  as  shown  in  Fig.  11, 


FIG.  11.   BEAR'S  TOOTH,  SHOWING  LATERAL,  PERFORATION. 

which  represents  the  tooth  of  natural  size.  By  passing  a  cord 
through  this  hole,  the  tooth  could  be  fastened  to  any  object,  or 
worn  as  an  ornament.  Two  of  the  teeth  (34368),  perforated  on 


461 

» 

one  side  in  the  same  manner  as  the  others,  have  an  additional  hole 
bored  through  near  the  end  of  the  root.  On  the  side  opposite  the 
lateral  perforation,  this  hole  is  counter-sunk  in  order  to  receive  a 
large  spherical  pearl,  about  three  eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  pearls,  although  now  chalky  from  decay,  were  in  place,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  12,  when  the  teeth  were  found. 


FIG.  12.    BEAR'S  TEETH  WITH  PEARLS  INSERTED. 

Seven  feet  northwest  of  the  centre  of  the  mound  we  found  a 
human  skeleton,  extended  at  full  length  and  surrounded  by  stones 
(Fig.  2,  G).  The  body  had  been  laid  on  its  back  in  a  grave  dug 
in  the  hard  clay,  and  it  is  evident,  from  the  fact  that  the  foot  of 
the  grave  was  under  a  portion  of  the  mass  of  burnt  stones,  earth, 
and  ashes,  that  it  was  a  primary  burial  over  which  the  mound  was 
erected  after  the  rites  which  here  took  place. 

The  parts  still  remaining  of  this  skeleton  (34379)  are  light  and 
crumbling,  and  consist  of  fragments  of  the  cranium,  the  under  jaw, 
parts  of  all  the  long  bones,  portions  of  the  pelvis,  a  piece  of  scapula, 
and  fragments  of  ribs  and  vertebrae.  These  show  that  the  individ 
ual  was  an  adult  of  light  frame,  possibly  a  woman.  The  condition 
of  the  jaws  points  to  considerable  disease  of  the  teeth,  for  all  the 
molars  of  the  lower  jaw  except  the  wisdom  tooth  of  the  left  side, 
with  the  first  right  molar  of  the  upper  jaw,  had  been  lost  during 
life,  while  the  first  upper  molar  of  the  left  side  has  its  roots  enlarged 
by  inflammation.  The  remaining  teeth  are  somewhat  worn. 


462 

Four  inches  from  the  left  side  of  the  head  were  the  remains  of 
four  of  the  spool-shaped  ear  ornaments  made  of  copper  (34386), 
with  which  were  about  a  dozen  large  pearl  beads  (34381,  a).  In 
contact  with  what  remained  of  the  bones  of  the  neck  were  four 
bear's  canine  teeth  (34384)  and  more  than  two  hundred  pearl  beads 
(34385).  With  the  copper-stained  bones  of  each  hand  were  por 
tions  of  an  ear  ornament  of  copper  (34380),  of  the  same  shape  as 
those  near  the  head,  but  in  each  instance  with  one  disk  covered 
with  a  thin  plate  of  native  iron.  With  each  of  these  ornaments 
were  pearl  beads,  about  fifty  in  all.  On  the  bones  of  the  chest 
rested  the  beautifully  chipped  point  of  white  flint  (34383),  shown  in 
Fig.  13.  This  chipped  point  is  from  two  to  seven  millimeters  thick, 
eighty  long,  and  thirty-four  wide,  and,  very  likely,  is  the  blade  of  a 
knife. 


FIG.  13.    POINT  CHIPPED  FROM  WHITE  FLINT. 

The  pearl  beads  found  in  the  several  positions  mentioned  are 
natural  pearls,  probably  obtained  from  the  several  species  of  Unio- 
nidae  in  the  Ohio  rivers.  In  size  they  vary  from  a  tenth  of  an 
inch  to  a  half-inch  in  diameter,  and  many  are  spherical.  They  are 
neatly  drilled,  the  larger  from  opposite  sides.  These  pearls  are 
now  chalkjr,  and  crumble  on  handling;  but,  when  fresh,  they 
would  have  formed  brilliant  necklaces  and  pendants. 

The  four  canine  teeth  found  at  the  neck  of  the  skeleton  are 
a  little  larger  than  those  found  with  the  skeleton  previously 
mentioned,  three  of  which  are  shown  in  Figs.  11  and  12.  If  they 
are  those  of  the  black  bear,  that  species  must  have  been  larger 
than  at  present,  judging  by  the  size  of  these  teeth,  of  which 
the  smallest  is  three  and  a  half  inches,  and  the  largest  three  and 
nine  tenths  inches  long.  Is  it  not  likely  that  these  are  the  teeth 


463 

• 

of  the  grizzly  bear?  Upon  one  side  of  each  tooth  are  two  ob 
lique  perforations,  meeting  at  a  common  point,  so  that  a  string 
pushed  down  through  one  hole  passes  up  out  of  the  other.  (See 
Fig.  11.) 

The  ear  ornaments  mentioned  as  found  near  the  head  of  the 
skeleton,  and  with  the  bones  of  the  hands,  are  like  those  found  in 
other  mounds  of  this  instructive  group,  to  which  I  have  called  at 
tention  in  former  Reports.  The  first  which  came  into  my  hands 
were  described  in  1882  in  my  account  of  "  Copper  Objects  from 
North  and  South  America,  contained  in  the  Museum  "  (15th 
Report,  p.  83).  Since  then  a  large  number  of  objects  of  copper 
have  been  added  to  the  Museum,  principally  from  explorations  in 
Ohio,  and  among  them  many  of  these  ornaments.  In  1882,  follow 
ing  Dr.  Rau,  I  used  the  term  "  spool-shaped  ornaments,"  as  their 
proper  designation  was  not  then  known.  In  that  paper  the  method 
of  their  manufacture  is  pointed  out.  and  in  part  illustrated  by  fig 
ures  (Figs.  18,  18  a,  and  19)  of  the  two  specimens  found  with  burnt 
human  bones  in  a  mound  at  Franklin,  Tenn.  Ali  of  these  orna 
ments  since  obtained,  particularly  those  from  the  altar  of  the  large 
mound  in  the  Turner  group,  mentioned  on  page  117,  16th  Report, 
show  that,  with  slight  individual  modifications,  such  as  strengthening 
cross-bars  of  copper  between  the  disks,  and  slight  variations  in  the 
method  of  forming  the  central  part  connecting  the  opposite  disks, 
there  is  little  to  add  to  the  published  description.  That  these  ob 
jects  are  unquestionably  ear  ornaments,  I  regard  as  conclusively 
proved  by  the  fact  that,  in  our  explorations  of  the  Turner  group,  to 
which  this  mound  belongs,  in  three  instances  we  have  found  pairs, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  skull,  in  contact  with  the  temporal  bones, 
as  mentioned  on  page  174,  16th  Report,  and  that  the  small  terra 
cotta  figurine  of  a  man  (p.  173,  same  Report)  has  such  a  stud-like 
ornament,  of  large  size,  in  each  ear.  Many  of  these  ornaments 
were  found  in  the  mass  of  material  from  the  altar  of  the  large 
mound,  and  among  them  there  were  several  either  partty  made 
of,  or  covered  with,  thin  plates  of  meteoric  iron  (p.  171,  16th 
Report) . 

In  the  mounds  of  the  Liberty  group  in  the  Scioto  valley  we  also 
found  several  of  these  ornaments  of  copper  (pp.  405-407,  18th 
Report),  some  of  them  covered  with  thin  plates  of  meteoric  iron,' 
like  the  two  with  the  finger-bones  of  the  skeleton  now  under 
consideration,  one  of  which  is  represented  in  Fig.  14.  The  cor- 


464 


responding  disk  from  the  other  hand  is  covered  in  like  manner, 
but  the  thin  covering  of  iron  has  nearly  rusted  away. 

Fig.  14  shows  the   outer   of  the   three   concavo-convex   plates 

which,  closely  overlaid,  form 
one  disk  of  an  ear  ornament; 
and  in  Fig.  15  are  seen  the  two 
inner  plates,  with  the  central 
cylindrical  column,  which  after 
passing  through  them  is  split  at 
each  end  and  clinched.  These 


FIG.  14.    OUTER  SURFACE  OF  EAR 
ORNAMENT. 


FIG.  15.     CENTRAL  PORTION  OF 
EAR  ORNAMENT. 


plates  rotate  loosely  upon  the  column,   around  which   a  twisted 
vegetable  fibre  is  wound  three  times. 

Fig.  16  represents  the  surface  of  the  middle  one  of  three  plates, 
showing  a  small  central  hole.  A  bit  of  copper,  carried  through  the 
central  column,  passed  through  these  holes,  holding  together  the 


FIG.  16.  UNDER  SURFACE  OF  CEN 
TRAL  PLATE. 


FIG.  17.  UPPER  SURFACE  OF  UNUER 
CONCAVE  PLATE. 


•inner  and  middle  plates,  which  were  further  secured  by  turning  the 
edge  of  the  middle  plate  under  the  rim  of  the  inner  plate,  shown  in 
Fig.  17,  where  may  be  seen  the  end  of  the  cylindrical  column  in  the 


465 


FIG.  18.    OUTER  SURFACE  OF  EAR 
ORNAMENT. 


central  depression.  Over  the  inner  and  middle  pieces,  thus  closely 
applied,  was  laid  the  outer  piece,  whose  edge  turned  in  secured  all 
three  plates  together. 

Fig.  18  is  an  accurate  representation  of  the  outer  surface  of 
one  of  the  copper  ornaments 
found  near  the  skull.  Over 
the  surface  figured  are  little 
ridges  of  green  carbonate  of 
copper  that  appear  to  have 
been  formed  in  the  little  fur 
rows  of  the  skin,  probably  of 
the  neck,  when  it  was  in  con 
tact  with  the  ornament.  This 
disk  and  the  corresponding 
one  of  the  pair  are  thicker  than 
usual,  and  the  edges  of  both 
show  that  they  are  made  up 
of  two  plates  closety  united  to 
a  third  or  under  plate,  as  de 
scribed  above. 

Two  of  these  ear  ornaments  found  near  the  head  have  vegetable 
fibre  wound  around  the  central  column,  as  represented  in  Fig.  15. 
One  of  these  is  so  well  preserved  as  to  retain  all  the  parts  in  place, 
while  all  the  others  are  more  or  less  in  pieces.  The  number  of 
these  ornaments  found  with  this  single  skeleton,  six  in  all,  or  three 
pairs,  none  of  them  in  such  a  position  as  to  indicate  that  they  were 
in  the  ears  of  the  body  at  the  time  of  burial,  might  be  taken  as 
evidence  that  they  are  not  ear  ornaments,  if  it  were  not  for  the 
conclusive  evidence  to  the  contrary  referred  to  above.  These  may 
have  been  placed  with  the  dead  as  tributes,  and  need  not  have  been 
the  personal  property  of  the  individual  in  life.  The  number  of 
these  ornaments  found  on  the  altar  of  the  great  mound,  some  cov 
ered  with  native  iron,  others  with  native  silver,  shows  that  they 
were  regarded  as  valued  offerings,  in  keeping  with  the  thousands 
of  pearls  and  other  ornaments  thrown  upon  the  altar  fires  during 
the  ceremonies  which  there  took  place.  Among  the  terra-cotta 
figurines  from  one  of  the  altars  are  several  representing  women  ; 
but  it  is  only  the  men  who  are  represented  with  ear  ornaments. 
This  fact  also  suggests  that  those  found  with  the  skeleton  were 
offerings,  as  it  is  probably  that  of  a  woman. 

REPORT   OF   PEABODY   MUSEUM,  III.  30. 


466 

Two  feet  north  of  the  head  of  the  grave  containing  the  skeleton 
and  objects  last  described  was  a  large  marine  shell  (34387).  The 
shell  is  much  decayed  and  broken,  but  its  central  portion  had  been 
cut  out.  Its  position  in  the  mound  is  indicated  by  the  letter  I  in 
Fig.  2. 

It  only  remains  to  add  to  this  description  of  the  mound  and  its 
contents,  that  in  the  northern  portion,  fourteen  to  twenty-two  feet 
from  the  central  basin,  we  found  three  soft  spots  in  the  hard  cla}* 
under  the  mound,  such  as  we  have  found  to  indicate  places  where 
posts  or  large  stakes  have  been.  The  position  of  these  post-holes 
is  shown  by  H,  H,  H,  Fig.  2.  It  is  likely  that  these  posts  pro 
jected  through  the  mound ;  but  as  they  had  long  since  gone  to 
decay,  leaving  only  a  little  fine  vegetable  mould  at  the  bottom  of 
the  holes,  and  as  the  mound  had  been  planted  over  for  so  many 
years,  this  could  not  be  determined.  I  may  add,  that  in  many  of 
our  explorations  of  mounds  we  have  found  similar  holes,  some  showr 
ing  where  the  outer  layer  of  wood  or  bark  of  the  post  had  been  by 
a  deposit  of  bog  iron,  formed  by  infiltration  from  the  clay  above  ; 
and,  following  out  the  arrangement  of  the  holes,  we  have  been  able 
to  show  that  in  some  cases  a  wooden  structure  had  occupied  the 
site  where  the  mounds  were  afterwards  built,  and  by  tracing  the 
position  of  the  posts  have  even  ascertained  that  the  mounds  some 
times  enclosed  such  structures,  which  were  not  simply  central 
chambers,  but  structures  which  included  extensive  rows  of  posts, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  largest  mound  of  this  group. 


